Pigs were historically killed for their bladders to create balloons. In Pigs Can Fly (2018), Siew treats current-day latex balloons in a way that makes them look like said pig bladders, almost as if reversing time.

Siew makes reference to the outdated practice to evoke parallels between the past and the present. Something as abject as using animal viscera for recreation is unthinkable in today’s context, but is resoundingly specific to an era where technologies had yet to exist to create the latex balloons we have today. Similarly, many practices that exist today will potentially become outdated in the future. However, Siew notes that the balloon’s progress was driven deeply by human economy, convenience and hygiene, rather than genuine compassion (or abstinence towards harming the beast). As such, developments in the future will benefit industry and capitalism more so than natural and human sustainability, something that many have started to witness and feel pessimistic about.

The second noble truth speaks of The Samudaya, roots of human suffering. Many aspects of Pigs Can Fly (2018) relate heavily to these poisons; the Greed of human industry is represented by the distinct grotesque regression of the latex balloons, things that forebode environmental collapse; and the Ignorance of human consumers represented by the floating, airy installation of these balloons - a culmination of inactivity (or lack of ability) to effect positive change in the environment whether optimistic or pessimistic about the future. In such dark times, we can only close our eyes and dream of a world where pigs can fly.